Shoe-stretcher



ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 191 9.

KNVENTOR Mm BY 0 W HOLUB SHOE STRETCHER. APPLICATION FILED DEC-5.1917;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER HOLUB, OF LA SALLE, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-STRETCHECR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J ne 24, 1919 Application filed December 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER HOLUB, a subject of the Republic of Russia, residing in the city of La Salle, county of La Sal1e,-and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shoe-stretchers and has for its object the production of a device by which it is possible by the same actuating means to spread as well as lengthen shoes and giving them various shapes such as to conform to the shape of the feet. I

I accomplish this by means shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure I shows my shoe-stretcher with one of the halves partially removed. Fig. 11 shows a top view of my shoe-stretcher.

In the drawings- 1 represents the body of my shoe stretcher -which similarly to all other stretchers is dilib 21-on its side. V

19 is fastened a washer 22, Between washer vided longitudinally through the middle into two parts 2 and 3. Parts 2 and 3 each have an aperture 3 and 4: respectively into I each of which loosely fits ends 5 and 6 of a block 7 Through a threaded aperture in block 7 passes a threaded rod 8 which is hinged at 9 to a handle 10. Loosely mounted on the opposite end of rod .8 is a suitably shaped sliding block 11 which slides in shallow grooves 12 in each of the parts 2 and 3. llhefront end of block 11 is cone-shaped and the grooves shallow enough so that when said block 11 is moved forward by screw rod 8 the front or toe parts 2 and 3 will spread apart. Mounted above a similar slanting part 13 on block 11 is member 14.- which has a projection 15 which engages 13 as 11 moves forward, thus pushing member 14: upwardly. Parts 2 and 3 are loosely connected by means of a plate 16 which has an aperture 17. Through this aperture 17 and into the cutout parts 18 in 2 and 3 passes a bar 19 which has fastened to its right end the heel part 20 as shown. Bar 19 has a plurality of teeth On the lefthand end of bar 22 and plate 17 on bar 19 is compressed a spiral spring 23 which tends to keep the heel 20 close to or against the body 1. The washer 22 is in such position that when block 11 is moved to the right by means of screw 8 it will engage said washer and push bar 19 out to the right. As this bar 19 is pushed out as above described a pawl 24.

p votally connected to block 7 by means of a pm 25 engages with each of the teeth 21 and thus holds the heel portion 20 from springmg back toward the body 1. Merely releasing the pawl 24 which is held into the tooth space by a spring 26 fastened to block 7 allows the heel to spring back a ain to its position to the left toward the ody 1. It will thus be seen that by means of block 11 and bar 19 the shoe can be stretched block 11 moved back to the left and spread SldtfigVljG by the means previously above de- SGIl 8 When the shoe has been stretched length- .wise as above mentioned, merely releasing the pawl 24 as previously described brings the heel back'against the body 1 and allows the stretcher to be taken out.

It is evident that by means of buttons or special shaped members 14 put on any part of the body 1 special parts of the shoe can be formed to meet any peculiar conditions necessary in shaping the shoe to meet the shape of the feet. A

It will beseen from the above description lengthwise and the stretcher locked and that it is possible with my shoe stretcher to spread the toes of shoes, to lengthen shoes and to give them special shapes, and that it is done by a simple and practical means.

It will be understood, of course, that while I have here shown one form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form shown, but wish to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any and all forms body parts, mechanical means for spreading the forward end of said body parts and for moving said heel part away from said body parts, and mechanism for locking said heel part at a predetermined point.

2. In a shoe stretcher, a body divided longitudinally into two parts, a plate having an aperture loosely mounted on the rear of said body parts, a rod passing through said aperture, teeth formed on said rod, a heel portion mounted on one end of said rod, with resilient means on' the other end of said 'wlth resilient means on the other end for bar for keeping said heel part normally -keeping said heel part normally against said against said body part, a block having a 25 body parts, mechanical means for spreading threaded aperture mounted in said bod the forward end of said body parts and for parts, a threaded rod passing through the moving said heel part away from said body threaded aperture and means journally parts, with mechanism for locking said heel mounted on said rod and slidably mounted part at apredetermined point, said means in said body parts so that when the threaded 30 comprising a nut block mounted in said body rod is rotated and moved forwardly the toe parts and a threaded rod through said nut parts of said body arts will be spread apart, block so that its forward motion beyond a and when rotated in reverse direction to predetermined point spreads said body parts, move it beyond a predetermined point the and its backward motion beyond said point heel part will be moved away from said 35 moves said heel part and a pawl pivotallybody parts, and mechanism pivotally mountconnected to said nut block which engages ed on said lock for engaging teeth on said the .teeth in said rod. rod retaining said heel in its rear position 3. In a shoe stretcher, a body divided lon when the threaded rod is moved forward to gitudinally into two parts, a plate having spread the said body parts. an aperture loosely mounted on the rear 0 WALTER HOLUB. said body parts, a rod passing through said Witnesses: aperture, teeth formed on said rod, a heel THADEUAS STUDZINSKI, portion mounted on one end of said rod, FRANK ,A. MAAS. 

